Has Ministry Published Pesticide Report?

In March, The Tico Times reported that the Ministry of Agriculture would post on its Web site by the end of June the results of a study about pesticide residues on our fruits and vegetables.We could not locate such a report.Could you tell us how to find it, or could you find out some of the results? Are there certain foods the study revealed we should be especially leery of consuming?

Sarah Dowell

Punta Uva de Limón

It appears the information you’re looking for is very late, but supposedly on the way.

We made repeated calls to officials in the ministry’s Phytosanitary Service to inquire about the status of the study, with no result. When we tried Mariela Azofeifa, spokeswoman for the Comptroller General’s Office, which ordered the Agriculture Ministry (now part of the new Production Ministry) to improve its controls over agrochemicals and publish “reliable data” regarding the use of pesticide residues on crops, she told The Tico Times the new regulations and information originally requested for June 30 are “soon to be published.”

The complex process has taken the ministry longer than anticipated, she said.

So, when will you be able to read about the state of your fruits and vegetables on www.mag.go.cr? No word as yet. Stay tuned, however. We’ll keep checking for updates, and keep you posted!